Chapter 9: Powerful Findings

The problem was, Pepper found the release of emotional pain into the physical slightly addictive. It alleviated the emotional anguish for a while. Although Harry was talking to her normally and sitting next to her again in classes, Hermione and Ron were merely cordial. She and Hermione actively avoided one another in the dormitory. When she pointed the compass to her skin, she liked to imagine each drop of blood as an image of something plaguing her: the face Hermione gave her at lunch today, the dream she had about her mother's death.

She needed to start studying for her O.W.L.S., for she was to take them next month. Her professors gave her all the materials she needed, and a few times she was glad she didn't have any friends because she spent all her free time studying. She wrote to her aunts about most of the things that were happening and they replied. She was aching to talk to her parents. Each time it hit her that she couldn't, she cried for hours at a time and sometimes tried to relieve that pain, too. She took the baby photo of her parents holding her out of the scrapbook and slept with it under her pillow, her hand wrapped around it.

One afternoon at the start of a free period, Pepper was in the common room when Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor House, walked in and approached her. "Excuse me, Ms Halliwell."

Pepper looked up from her book. "Yes, Professor McGonagall?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you and Mr. Potter in his office."

While Pepper put her books away, Professor McGonagall went and pulled Harry away from his talk with his two best friends. She then left the common room, telling the two to go straight there, and that Pepper knew the password. So, Harry and Pepper started the long walk to Dumbledore's office. Pepper was worried about what the Headmaster wanted

"I think Hermione's almost accepted that she's second best," Harry said. Pepper's fists clenched. She was so sick of this.

"Does she even want to try to be my friend anymore?" she asked.

"Of course!" Harry said as if he was genuinely surprised.

"And what the hell is up with Ron?" she added. "If he's going to be that forcefully protective of her for no real reason he needs to at least admit to her that he likes her." They reached the raven statue. She said the password and waited patiently for the spiral staircase to appear before climbing to the top of it and entering the Headmaster's office. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore," she said as she walked in.

He looked up from his desk and smiled at her. "Aah, Ms Halliwell, Mr. Potter, come in."

They took seats in front of his desk. "I'm sure Harry already told you, Ms Halliwell, that he's been up against Lord Voldemort, who is determined to take over the wizarding world for the second time. Harry might have also told you about the Prophecy in which either he or Voldemort must perish. Harry, I believe you shall face Voldemort again this year, and that your friends will once again be by your side. Ms Halliwell will be included in your group, as you also may suspect. One thing I'm sure neither of you are aware of is that Ms Halliwell possesses great power."

Both Pepper and Harry were shocked by this news. Pepper wondered how she could have so much power when she didn't even know about it. She knew she had a few natural powers, but she thought that they were around the same strength as every other natural witch.

"Now Ms Halliwell, I'm sure you are wondering why you acquire so much power, so I will tell you to the best of my ability. I believe that it is because your mother was a very strong witch, being a "Charmed" one; though your father did not wield too much power, he was in a powerful Pureblood family and with you having blood from two different magical "worlds," shall we say, your strength was doubled. As a result, when you face Voldemort, you shall face him together, and hopefully you will be victorious." Dumbledore paused for a minute, giving the two students time to process this information. "To make sure you are both fully prepared, you shall be getting extra Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. You may talk to Professor Ardel to work out a schedule for these lessons. I believe you both have Herbology next, I will not keep Professor Sprout waiting. Good day," Dumbledore ended with a smile, dismissing Harry and Pepper.

Once back into the corridor, on their way back to Gryffindor Tower, Pepper swore.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, but Pepper just swore some more. "What?" Harry repeated, only to be answered by more cursing. "What!"

"I've got too much work to begin with, and now to learn I'm super powerful and have extra lessons and more work! And you and your friends haven't been helping much, might I add. You know how shitty I feel right now? I don't know if I should have even come here to begin with."

"I'm sorry, Pepper...I'll talk to Hermione and Ron again tonight. We weren't fair to you - they're still not being fair."

He did as he promised, and Hermione began to mend fences the next time Pepper saw her. It started in the dormitory that night when Hermione pushed back her bed hanging to chat to Pepper about her day. And their friendship began to heal. Even Ron began to talk to her, though it wasn't as much or as relaxed as before. Pepper bit her tongue every time she wanted to yell at one of them for making her hurt herself, and she didn't let any of it slip. They fell back into their old habits of friendship and Hermione once again helped Pepper with her large amount of work and studying for her O.W.L.S. Her depression started to lift, even as her stress levels increased.

Harry set up a schedule for their extra secret Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons and they were to meet with Professor Ardel from one to two thirty in the afternoon every Sunday. He was spending extra time with her, just the two of them. They took walks on the grounds on sunny afternoons and shared information about her father. These walks quickly became her favourite part of the day. Both to learn more about her dad and...and to explore the strange warmth that filled her every time she was alone with Harry. The warmth that increased when he smiled at her or elbowed her playfully.

Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Leo were writing Pepper excessively, wanting to know every excruciating detail of Hogwarts and Pepper's friends. Pepper told them almost everything, though she left out the part about the horrible fight, the overwhelming amounts of work and her self-mutilation. They made sure to remind her in every letter that she was coming home for Christmas, whether she liked it or not.

"Pepper," Harry said that Friday night. "I've got my next Quidditch practice tomorrow, if you'd like to come."

"Alright," Pepper said, looking up from her book. "What time? I'll have to set my alarm."

"Seven A.M.," Harry said, sitting next to Pepper on the common room couch. "It's early for a Saturday, not that you haven't been getting up early anyways on the weekends with all that work..."

"Not seven o' clock early, though. I'll still come, I want to see people flying on broomsticks, sounds...stereotypical."

"Stereotypical?" Harry asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Yea, you know how witches fly on broomsticks in books and television shows and things? Well, they don't exactly play Quidditch on them...but they fly on them. I just think it's cool that you can actually do that. I never thought you could fly on a broom. Could you take me on yours tomorrow?" Pepper asked after her ranting.

"Yea, sure. That way you'll know if you should've bought that broom in Diagon Alley," Harry smiled. "So hopefully you'll hate it. Oh, you know the first Hogsmede trip is next weekend."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to go, I've still got a lot of work to do."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun. You need to give yourself a break, Pepper. You deserve one. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone work as hard as you've been for three weeks straight," Harry prompted. "Please?" he added with a slight pout.

"We'll see," Pepper laughed. "Just don't pout ever again," she said and got up to go to her dormitory. "Meet you here at six thirty!"

"Six thirty," Harry confirmed. Pepper saluted him then made her way up the stairs to her dorm. She stopped at the door when she heard two voices inside. It was Lavender and Parvati.

"I'm planning to ask Harry to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow," a voice (Pepper guessed it was Lavender's, she'd learned to tell their voices apart in the past four weeks), came from inside the room.

"You think he'll say yes?" came Parvati's voice.

"I hope so," Lavender said.

"But he's been ogling Pepper lately, don't you think? In classes he just stares at her and they've been flirting. What if he's asked her to Hogsmede already?" said Parvati.

Me and Harry flirting? Pepper asked herself. No, she thought, we haven't been flirting. Does he really stare at me in class? And did he just ask me to Hogsmeade? No, he couldn't have, Pepper reassured herself. He, Ron and Hermione go together, he was just inviting me along.

"You're not serious, are you Parvati?" Lavender asked from inside the dormitory, bring Pepper back to reality. "Why would he be interested in her? She's just a smart aleck bookworm."

"I don't know," Parvati answered. "That's just what I've seen."

Pepper decided this would be a good time to walk in. She didn't really want to hear anymore of this ludicrous conversation. As the door squeaked open Lavender and Parvati shut up and pretended to be changed, set her alarm and then got into bed herself. She couldn't wait to get on a broomstick tomorrow. She'd never been higher off the ground then about three feet – when she was in her bed. And from what Hermione had told her about Harry and Quidditch, Pepper gathered that he was one of the best players in the school. Best Seeker on any of the four teams, by far, is what she gathered. He'd even beaten Malfoy – he was the Slytherin Seeker, Hermione said. Hermione told her he'd started playing on the Gryffindor team when he was in First Year and that was against the rules, but he'd been such a good flyer Professor McGonagall put him on the team. Ron was also on the team. He was the Keeper and had won them the Quidditch Cup last year. Though Hermione said Ron wasn't nearly as good at flying as Harry was. With thoughts of flying, Pepper finally fell asleep.

Her alarm woke her at six fifteen and she begrudgingly got out of bed and into the shower. Still half asleep, she got dressed and went down to the common room, where Harry and Ron were in their practice robes, standing with their brooms. "Hurry up," Ron urged as Pepper came down the stairs.

"I'm coming," Pepper groaned, trying to stay awake.

Harry and Ron led her down onto the Quidditch pitch, where the rest of the Gryffindor team was already waiting. "Pepper wanted to watch," Harry told the rest of the team. "Is that alright?"

A girl with braids in her hair said it was okay if Pepper was to watch as long as she didn't distract anyone. Harry whispered to Pepper that she was Angelina, the captain of the team.

Pepper went and sat on the side of the pitch to watch the Quidditch practice. She didn't want to be in the way. The team mounted their brooms and the captain opened a crate that contained four balls. Everyone but Angelina pushed their feet off the ground, causing the brooms to rise. "Higher, Harry!" she called into the air as she pulled a tiny ball from the wooden crate. Harry rose higher into the air until Angelina opened her hand to let the ball go. Pepper caught sight of a tiny gold ball before it went zooming off. Angelina let the other balls go. Two flew straight into the air and two of the players went after the balls while she got on her broom with the fourth ball. Once she was in the air she began throwing the ball to other players. "Go Harry!" she yelled and Harry began flying very fast; Pepper assumed he was looking for the little gold ball.

Angelina had Ron go to one end of the pitch where there were three circular hoops on poles. Then she and the other two people that weren't hitting the two black balls around began tossing the fourth ball back and forth and trying to get it through one of the hoops Ron was guarding. Pepper watched with great interest, thinking about how it would feel to be playing that. She couldn't wait to get on Harry's broom.

She was brought back to her senses when Harry stopped his broom a few feet in front of her, though he was still in the air. "Seen the Snitch?" he asked.

"You mean the little gold ball?" Pepper asked. He nodded. "Nope, sorry." Harry flew away again.

An hour and a half later, Quidditch practice was over and the Gryffindor team landed on the ground, panting and out of breath. Pepper was ready with cups of water for them from the cooler by the shower room and she handed them each a glass when they approached the showers. Each of them panted their thanks and then went into the shower room or sat on the bench where the cooler was located. Pepper stood there impatiently.

"Let me take a shower then I'll take you flying," Harry said, finishing his water and heading off to shower.

Over the next fifteen minutes the team dispersed and Harry finally came out of the showers. He picked up his broom and grabbed Pepper's hand, leading her out onto the middle of the field. "Put your leg over the broom..." he instructed her and she did so, getting on behind him. "Now hold on to me." She hesitantly put her arms around Harry's middle - that was her only choice since the broom handle wasn't very big. She felt oddly nervous about touching him. Her heartbeat quickened. She tried to convince herself it was because of her impending flight. "Ready? We're going up," he said and gently kicked his feet off the ground.

They rose a few feet in the air and gradually went higher. Pepper clutched onto Harry tighter as they rose higher and higher and finally Harry stopped the broom from moving. Her stomach dropped, her adrenaline pumping. They were dangling thirty feet in the air, the wind pushing them a little. "Ready to fly?" Harry asked Pepper.

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

Harry leaned forward on the broom and they went forward in the air. He started out slowly so Pepper could get used to the movement. She buried her face in the back of his Quidditch robe as he started flying faster. She clutched Harry's middle but managed to relax her grip when she found she liked flying. She liked it a lot. "Can this thing go faster?" she asked Harry over the sound of rushing wind in her ears.

"Of course," Harry said and made the broom accelerate.

Pepper let out a squeak of glee. "This is great!" she exclaimed.

"I know!" Harry yelled back.

They flew around the Quidditch pitch for a good twenty minutes before Harry slowed down and finally landed. Pepper tumbled off the broom and tried to catch her balance, she still felt like she was moving. "That was so cool," she said. "Can I try doing the flying?"

Harry smiled, glad she loved it. "I'll get on behind you and guide the broom."

"Okay," Pepper said brightly. Harry handed her the broom and she mounted it, Harry getting on behind her. He situated himself on the broom to help her fly: putting his arms by her middle, his hands on top of hers. He was pressed right up against her from behind. Their faces were almost side-by-side. A blush rose up her chest to the tips of her ears. She could feel his breath on the shell of her ear and it was doing unexpected things to her.

"Push off the ground," he instructed. She bent her knees and pushed up. Too hard. They shot up into the air. Pepper let out a squeal and Harry gripped her hands to pull the broom up a little, making it slow down and stop.

"Sorry," Pepper squeaked out.

"'S'all right," Harry said, a bit frazzled himself. "Keep going, it's all right."

Pepper tentatively leaned forward, causing the Firebolt to move. Harry helped her steer it. She found it difficult to keep a consistent speed and direction.

"I suck!"

"I know!" Harry said playfully in her ear. She could hear the smile in his voice and it sent a shiver through her.

"Meanie!" Pepper said.

"Thanks!" Harry yelled, pushing the broom handle down so that the broom would travel back to the ground. They dismounted and Pepper caught her balance again.

"I like flying," she concluded, "but I need practice."

"You sure do," Harry answered. Pepper laughed, feeling high on the flying. Harry was grinning broadly at her joyousness. They stood there for a few moments, facing each other, as a thick atmosphere grew between them. Pepper's smile still plastered on her face, she started to feel her heartbeat against her ribs. She and Harry had been flirting, hadn't they?

Harry took a step forward, the gap between them shrinking. Now she had to tilt her head backwards to look up at him. Her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure what she wanted to happen. Harry began to lean forward. Pepper started to lean in too, but thought better of it and turned her head away. She didn't want to ruin their friendship, now that it had finally gotten back on track. Not until she sorted her feelings out..

"I-I think we should go back inside, I bet we can still catch breakfast," Pepper said nervously, taking a step back.

"I hope so," he said, smoothing over the awkward moment. "I'm starving." The two walked back to the castle in silence. Though they both opened their mouths more than once to say something, words failed them.

They entered the Great Hall to find Ron and Neville at the Gryffindor table, eating and playing Wizard's chess. Pepper and Harry each sat on a different side of Ron.

"How was flying?" Ron asked Pepper as Neville took out one of his pawns.

"Um...fun, but I'm not too good at it," Pepper answered.

"We almost flew out of the atmosphere," said Harry with a slightly hollow laugh.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the common room, I've still got loads of work to do," Pepper announced, getting up and making her way back to the common room.

She found Hermione there, sitting at a table and doing her Arithmancy report. Hermione and the dozen or so others in the room looked up when they heard the portrait open but only Hermione waved to Pepper before turning back to her work. Pepper walked over and sat down next to Hermione. She debated telling her about the incident with Harry in the Quidditch pitch, but decided she needed to tell someone.

"What's up?" Hermione asked, not looking up from her writing.

"Can I ask you something important?" Pepper wondered.

Hermione put down her quill and looked up. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not quite sure," Pepper said. "You know how I went to watch Quidditch practice this morning – " Hermione nodded. "– well, after everyone left Harry took me up on his broom and flew me around and I loved it. So then I asked if he would let me fly it and Harry helped me out a bit by...well, by getting closer to me, putting his hands on mine and putting his head right next to me...then we landed and we almost...he leaned in to...kiss me."

Hermione's eyes went wide, and her mouth flopped open. "You didn't kiss him, did you?" she hissed.

"No, I didn't. I turned my head away almost at the last minute. It was just so weird! Do you think he likes me?" Pepper asked confusedly.

"He hasn't said anything, but he wouldn't necessarily tell me something like that anyway," Hermione said. "But he must fancy you, mustn't he? Harry's not the type to kiss someone without having genuine feelings for them. I wonder if I should try kissing Ron...maybe then our relationship would actually get somewhere..." Hermione wondered aloud. "Well, how did you feel about it? Are you thinking that you fancy him as well?"

"I don't know," Pepper said. "I mean, I really like him, he's been a great friend the past month. I realise that we've been flirting lately, and I felt some unexpected things during the flight."

"Maybe have a chat with him about it. Perhaps I'll talk to Ron, too. I really want something to happen with him. I know he fancies me and I fancy him so what's the problem? I don't think there is one, and if he's too scared to talk to me, then I'll talk to him," Hermione said, finishing the conversation with herself.

"I wonder if Harry's told Ron," Pepper thought aloud.

"Well we're about to find out," said Hermione, gesturing towards the common room entrance. "Here they come." Pepper and Hermione bent their heads back down, not wanting the boys to know they were discussing them.

"What should I do?" Pepper whispered to Hermione. "There are too many people here to talk in private." She glanced around the room. "I could take him over to the couch, I suppose, it's not too crowded over there."

"Go for it," Hermione whispered back. "I'm going to talk to Ron. Hey, I could take Ron over to the couch and, knowing Harry, he'll come over here to you, I'm sure he'll want to talk." Pepper nodded and Hermione got up, walking over to the two boys. Pepper saw the other girl lead Ron to the middle of the common room and Pepper beckoned Harry over shyly.

Harry sat down in the chair next to Pepper and neither of them said anything for a while. Finally, Pepper said, "I suppose you told Ron, then."

"Yes, and I guess you told Hermione," said Harry.

Pepper smiled a bit and nodded. "Harry, I was wondering, what was that, out on the Quidditch pitch?"

Harry didn't answer for a while. "I fancy you, Pepper," he said at last. Her heart stopped for a moment. She didn't know what to say.

"Harry, let's...I can't completely define my feelings yet?" she said honestly.

Harry smiled at her. "I'm not going to ask you to, then," he said. "Do you want to try and figure them out at Hogsmeade?" For the first time Pepper realized that their conversation had gradually gotten quieter. They were now speaking in almost a whisper, as if they talked louder the moment would disappear.

"Sure," she replied, smiling brightly as her heart skipped. She couldn't deny that she had some sort of feelings for him. Or that the air between them was buzzing with...something. "I'd love to spend some time just the two of us."

Suddenly, Lavender Brown stomped over, standing in front of Harry. "Excuse me," she said politely. "I was wondering if I could speak to you, Harry."

"Yes, Lavender?" Harry replied, moving his hand away from where it was – close to Pepper's.

"I wanted to know if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me," Lavender said.

Harry looked slightly amused. "Uh, sorry Lavender, I'm uh..." he stole a glance at Pepper, who was looking at Harry in a roundabout way so Lavender wouldn't see. "...I'm sort of going with Hermione, Ron and...um...Pepper."

Lavender narrowed her eyes. "Oh," she said curtly. "If you're sure then." She turned on her heel and was about to walk away when she coughed and Pepper could swear it sounded like Slut. Pepper clamped her tongue between her teeth to keep from retaliating.

Harry was blushing. "Excellent timing from Lavender," he joked quietly.

"It's all right mister popular," said Pepper. But she felt pleased that he wanted to go with her. "You know, we've got our first extra DADA lesson tomorrow. To tell you the truth, I'm sort of nervous."

"Don't be," Harry reassured her. "I actually taught a DADA club last year, it was fun. Plus, I took extra lessons with Snape last year, which is the worst it can get. You'll be fine. Besides, I'll be right there with you, so you won't be in it alone." He shot her another winning smile.

"Well thanks Harry. I guess I'll be hitting the books again. I've still got a lot of work to do. Thankfully I'm done with almost all of my makeup work but I'm taking the O.W.L.S. in three weeks. Hey...maybe Professor Ardel will give me a break..." she trailed off, wandering up the stone steps to the girls' dormitories.